Zebra Mussels have already ruined Lake Belton

I haven't seen anyone talk about how fast the zebra mussels have taken over Lake Belton. Their are very few shad left because most of the lake is extremely clear now and they are starving. I have talked to multiple people that live or guide on the lake and they can't believe how bad it is already. I haven't been on any of the other lakes except Waco in the state that have the zebra mussels, but it doesn't seem like they have done as much damage to the fishery on those lakes. My worst fear is that it will ruin some or all of the good catfish lakes after what I am seeing on Belton. There are so many people that don't understand how bad the zebra mussels can be or don't care and will take their boat from a lake that has them to another lake without a second thought. Please do your part to not spread these mussels and educate anyone about this problem.

Same thing happened at Texoma if I recall correctly, but then nature somehow found equilibrium. The shad are back, and the lake is rocking.

Catfish eat zebra mussels by the truckload.

Mr. Catfish, you make a lot of good points. The zebra mussels have really spread and populated FAST. They are all over the lake and the water is much clearer, and shad have been a little harder to find this year for me.

However, I wouldn't say they have ruined Belton lake? Iv still be able to catch blues and channels, probably more consistently this year than any year in the past. I have had to change things a little to locate and catch fish, but they are still there. Just have to adapt and fish a little differently.

big10 we should get to gather i dont fish belton much in the warmer weather the fish are hard to pattern that lake is big and really deep. this winter I was catching most my Blues out of 45 plus ft of water. by be if we go fishing the weekend you could tag along if you like. my nest week i will have my guid license and will be guiding Waco and Limestone. if the with permits me and t-rex are headed up there looking to put him on an other limit of fish.

But yes lake Belton is full of zebra muscles i thing ever cat i have ever cought out of there in the warm moths was full of them it can be tough on your line when your fishing the trees and stumps. then get rapped up in the your leader is almost sure to be cut. give me a call frieday and i will let you know as far as shad go on belton i can mark shad all all day with my fishfineder. it is just to painful to toss a net when hen i do ue cut bait i fallow Tinys advice and cut up some green sun fish or blue gill and i do ver well with them

yes its getting pretty bad out there

Sounds like someone found an unlimited source of free catfish back for that lake. Start crushing some shells.

Big10, I don't doubt that the catfish are still there, and I would think they would be easier to catch now than before because of the lack of food source. It is also good to hear that you have been able to find some shad. I have been catching bait in that lake very successfully for at least 10 years and I have only been successful once back in mid March this year. Last year was probably the easiest year for catching shad, but now I have only been able to find a few small ones lately. Hopefully Heavylead is right and the shad population will bounce back.

Lewis, that's a great idea. We will have to get together and go fish one day.

The #1 biggest impact I have seem from zebra mussels in belton other than clear water, is them cutting line. Iv lost a lot of fish this year in timber that I could normally get out without a problem. Hopefully they don't ever get half this bad in Waco, or it's going to be near impossible to get a fish to the boat.

I dont have an issue in waco and fish it a lot but i am am woking on limestone i my have an open seat for saturday send me your number we are leaving early 3am get then before sun up and get the boat loaded up and stuff then in about 30-40 mins we can see enough to gone on the lake it just to full of stumps to chance it. i want to take people out and work on my guiding i am going to have go to waco soon and practice on there as well i just have to go down monday and buy it. my goal is to make it affordable for soldiers and the average family to go. anyone who knows me I am one of the fairest guys you will meet. I am not trying to compete with the guids who wo this for a living. I know i have been taken buy guid on this site. my number is below sed me a text send me a text i will let you know if the one guy does not go.

this is what i was told from a game warden and a buddy who grow up out here

there was a commercial fishermen him and is 35 40 guys would hit belton every day for seval years. the pardons just cold not catch them finally someone got pictures and handed them to the to the game wardens by that time they had killed the catfish population on breton and moved to limestone were they were caught and fined heavy if it was not from the source i dont think i wold have beived it but i had ask a warden who stopped me Monday to do a sayfty check and i asked about it he confirmed it. i just can recall when this took place
but when you have 35-40 guys running lines hoop nets and juglines all day eevery day and on guy buy-them it wont take long to wipe out a lake even though jugs are legal and so are lines I think they should be illegal to many people dont pick them up an just leave them there and it kills and wast them it is sickinky to see all these lines in the trees when the water is low or jug that have ben ou there for so lone that the have slim on them no name nothing but as long as the are legal not much i to say about it other then a few will screw up for the rest that do it respoabley